How Do I Target an Instagram Ad? Avoid This Blunder!

Targeting your ads is the most important piece of your paid strategy when it comes to attracting your ideal clients. Instagram ads rolled out a few months back, and I had to write this quick post to make sure everyone knows NOT to use this targeting feature:

Impressions on Instagram – it seems like a good idea: Get me in front of people ALL THE TIME! Marketing 101, riiiight?

Wrong. Unlike Facebook (and soon possibly Twitter), Instagram does not customize the timing of your feed to ensure you don’t see repeat ads and posts throughout the day. It’s chronological, and you only see posts by the people you follow (not what their cousin’s mom tagged them in). Now, you also see the occasional ad and Instagram recently released options to hide and unfollow advertisers you don’t like.

It’s all about user experience, and while I do think your brand should be popping up in all the places your audience spends time, bombarding them on Instagram multiple times per day is more likely to get your ad or account hidden (see below) which has long term implications on your paid strategy.

The “impressions” option becomes risky on Instagram because you can quickly become annoying. So I recommend sticking with Link Clicks to Your Website in almost all scenarios!

For more tips and other social media marketing trends, keep up with me on Twitter and Periscope @bellestrategies.

Belle Strategies is a boutique Social Media Marketing company based in South Florida. Our team mixes innovative strategies with attention to detail for an online presence that produces tangible results. For assistance growing your brand on social media, contact us!

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Rachel is a content marketing and social media strategist, and CEO of Belle Strategies. She spends her time helping clients leverage digital marketing to reach and convert their communities into lifelong customers.